Comentario sobre Eclesiastés 2:16

Since in the days to come all will be forgotten. Because I see the wicked who already lived, and who were very successful, and in the days that came after them, all their power and their success were forgotten.

“I hated life, because the actions performed under the sun were distressing to me; as everything is vanity and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17).
“I hated life” – Imikanteron wrote to Emperor Hadrian. He said to him: If it is the circumcised that you hate, there are the Ishmaelites. If it is those who observe Shabbat that you hate, there are the Cuthites.⁵⁵The Ishmaelites would practice circumcision and the Cuthites would observe Shabbat. Rather, it is only this nation alone that you hate; its God will exact retribution against that man.⁵⁶This is a reference to Hadrian. Hadrian declared that whoever did so⁵⁷Whoever had written the letter, which apparently had not been signed. should reveal himself to the king because the king wants to give him something. One person went and revealed himself.⁵⁸There was concern that if no one identified himself as the writer of the letter, the emperor would punish the entire community. Therefore, one person identified himself as the writer of the letter even though he was not the real author (Midrash HaMevo’ar). He [Hadrian] said: ‘Behead him.’ [Hadrian then] said to him: ‘Why did you say so?’⁵⁹Why did you accuse me of baseless hatred. He said: ‘It is because you are relieving this man from three severe pains.’⁶⁰The man said this about himself, and thereby explained why he was not afraid to die. [Hadrian] said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘This man’s soul wants to eat with him morning and evening, and he does not have anything to give it, and likewise regarding his wife and likewise regarding his sons.’⁶¹In other words, the man said he did not have enough food to eat, for himself or for his family. Hadrian said: ‘Since he is living a bad life, let him go.’ [The man] recited about himself: “I hated life.”
There was an incident involving a certain glutton, who toiled all the six days of labor [each week] throughout the year, but on Shabbat he had nothing to eat. What did he do? One time he donned his finest garments, climbed to the roof, fell, and died. He recited about himself: “I hated life.”
They came and told Rabbi Hoshaya: Your judges are drinking wine in the marketplace, but he never saw them do so.⁶²Therefore, he did not believe the report. Once, he went out and found his judges drinking wine in the marketplace. He recited about himself: “I hated life,” and he died in peace.⁶³Once he saw his judges acting in such an improper manner, he no longer wanted to live. His wish was granted and he then died a peaceful death. Alternatively, the midrash is emphasizing that unlike the glutton in the previous story, Rabbi Hoshaya did not commit suicide despite his anguish (Rabbi David Luria). Rabbi Huna said: “Man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7), and He rendered him a slave to himself, for if he does not toil he will not eat. This is consistent with the opinion of Rabbi Huna, as Rabbi Huna said: “The Lord delivered me into the hands of [bidei]⁶⁴This term is expounded as though it said biyadi, “into my hand,” which is spelled the same way in Hebrew. Thus, the verse is interpreted to mean that one is a slave in the sense that he must work in order to sustain himself. those against whom I am not able to stand” (Lamentations 1:14); if one does not toil during the day, he will be unable to withstand the night.

And how can the death of the wise man be [like the death] of the fool. I observe the righteous succeeding in their deaths and availing their children, for example, “And I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, etc.,”²⁰Vayikra 26:42. [and] “I remember for you the kindness of your youth.”²¹Yirmiyahu 2:2.